Black and White - Robert Downey, Jr. Allan Houston , Jared Leto , Scott Caan , Mike Tyson , Wu-Tang
Black and White is a
1999 American film directed by
James Toback, starring
Robert Downey, Jr.,
Gaby Hoffmann,
Allan Houston,
Jared Leto,
Scott Caan,
Claudia Schiffer,
Brooke Shields,
Bijou Phillips and members of the
Wu-Tang Clan (
Raekwon,
Method Man,
Ghostface Killah,
Oli "Power" Grant,
Masta Killa and
Inspectah Deck) and
Onyx (
Fredro Starr and
Sticky Fingaz).
The film also features
Ben Stiller as a sleazy police detective, as well as
Mike Tyson playing himself. It had its first showing at the
Telluride Film Festival on
September 4, 1999, followed by a second screening at the
Toronto Film Festival on
September 15, 1999. It had its theatrical release in the
United States on April 5,
2000.
Rich Bower (
Power) is a mover and shaker in the world of rap music (he's involved with a number of other licit and illicit business ventures as well), and his apartment is a favored meeting place for musicians, hangers-on, and hipsters who want to seem cool, including a clique of white kids who want to be on the inside of what they consider the coolest scene of the day.
Sam (Shields), a filmmaker, is making a documentary about Rich and his circle, with the help of her husband
Terry (
Downey), a closeted homosexual who doesn't feel at home in this milieu.
Dean (
Houston) is Rich's friend since childhood and a talented college basketball player. He is offered a deal by a bookmaker,
Mark (Stiller) to throw a few games for a price. Dean takes the money against his better judgment, and he soon realizes how much of a mistake he made when Mark turns out to be a cop hoping to dig up dirt on
Rich. Rich in turn discovers that Dean might be forced to tell what he knows to stay out of jail, and he decides that Dean has to be killed; however, rather than murder his friend himself, Rich asks one of the white kids who hangs out with him, who seems especially eager to prove himself, to do it for him.
The kid, however, is actually the son of the
District Attorney.
Cast
Robert Downey, Jr. as Terry Donager
Gaby Hoffmann as
Raven
Allan Houston as
Dean Carter
Jared Leto as
Casey
Scott Caan as
Scotty
Stacy Edwards as
Sheila King
Kidada Jones as
Jesse
Marla Maples as
Muffy
Joe Pantoliano as
Bill King
Bijou Phillips as
Charlie
Oli "Power" Grant as Rich Bower
Raekwon as
Cigar
Claudia Schiffer as
Greta
William Lee Scott as
Will King
Brooke Shields as Sam Donager
Ben Stiller as Det.
Mark Clear
Eddie Kaye Thomas as
Marty King
Frank Adonis as
Frank
Elijah Wood as
Wren
Mike Tyson as himself
Production
Most of the script was improvised by the cast.[citation needed] Only Claudia Schiffer's part was fully scripted.
Because she had not had them done previously, Claudia Schiffer had to have her ears pierced especially for the large hoop earrings worn by her character. In addition to sporting fake dreadlocks, Brooke Shields also wore a nose ring for this film, for which she had her nose temporarily pierced.
Reception
Review aggregate
Rotten Tomatoes reports that 39% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 80 reviews; the critical consensus states, "
The atmosphere is affecting, and the story, at times, is compelling, but with a lean script and limp direction, Black and White doesn't add up to much."[1] Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of
100 based on reviews from film critics, the film has a rating score of 47%, aggregating 27 reviews.[2]
Roger Ebert gave the film three out of four stars.[3]
In the United States, Black and White grossed $5,
241,315 in its four week release.[4]